Measles cases climb to 13 in Coshocton County

COSHOCTON – Coshocton County has had its first hospitalization because of the measles.

Confirmed measles cases in Coshocton County have risen to 13 people. This is part of the largest outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease in Ohio since 1996.

There are no immunization clinics scheduled for the county at this time.

Coshocton County Health Commissioner Robert Brems Jr. said he doesn’t fear an epidemic in the mainstream populace of the county, as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is highly effective. At this time, the only infections in the county have been to unvaccinated members of the Amish community. Brems said receiving vaccinations isn’t really part of the Amish culture, but officials have received good cooperation among the Amish in taking the vaccine when offered during this outbreak.

However, how many more cases the county could see is hard to guess, Brems said. That is because of the long latency between when someone contracts the illness and when symptoms appear. He also said it’s important that families who have infected members isolate themselves to the outside until the disease runs its course to prevent further cases.

The Coshocton County Health Department said all of the cases have been confined to the Amish community in White Eyes, Perry and Crawford townships. None of the people was vaccinated before the start of the outbreak. The last suspected case can be traced back to May 23. There were six confirmed cases May 22.

The one hospitalization was a woman who has since been discharged and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Ohio Department of Health said there are 206 measles cases in six counties, with seven people having been hospitalized. The largest number is 128 cases in Knox County. It’s believed the outbreak can be traced to four Amish people in Knox County who had recently returned from a trip to the Philippines. Spread has been determined to be through work and community activities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers arrived in the area during the weekend and will be working with health departments in Coshocton, Knox and Holmes counties. They will assist local public health staff with measles contact investigations and follow-ups.

Free MMR vaccinations will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke Community Center in Danville and from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Keim Lumber in Charm. More than 8,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in the affected counties, according to the ODH.

The ODH also has reported a mumps outbreak in Central Ohio, with 406 confirmed cases. None is in Coshocton County.

The Coshocton County Health Department has established a measles phone line with information about the disease and upcoming clinics. The number is 740-295-7317.